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Hi to you all. I'm just curious why on this forum the Korg SV1 seems to be the invisible DP. It is usually only mentioned in passing and then only in relation to it's key action. I find this strange as I totally love this board. Youtube performances agree with me, from the great players Korg employ to keen amateurs, the SV1 sounds damn good. The choice of sounds now offered between the different sound packs mean you can really personalise your selection of sounds.The only down side for me is that several notes (about 5 or so)are noisey with a clicky sound, but it's not all the time. I do however like the feel of the action, it bottoms out softly, feels great for playing the EP sounds and I don't mind it with APs as well.There must be more than me out there that enjoys playing the SV1? Let me know I'm not alone.

I looked at it when researching for my new DP. I think that most people in this forum (me included) are usually discussing actual piano replacements or extensions of piano, so an almost dedicated EP will get less 'airtime'. Just as, for example, the Roland FP-7F has LITERALLY 2 posts discussing it over at the Roland Clan forums (I was really shocked by this!), yet here there are several people discussing it.

I think its more to do with the 'common ground' people in here share than the actual usefulness and quality of an instrument as interesting as the SV1.

With that out of the way , I really think the SV1 is a fantastic sounding instrument, and incredibly versatile as an EP. I agree that the APs sound interesting as well, just not as nice as the Rolands or Kawais or even the new Kronos. The computer connectivity is really interesting and the expansion possibilities are a nice customer treat.

If, like you, you already have a DP like the 700NX, I believe the SV-1 would be the ideal companion as an EP! If you have some recordings, I'd really love to hear them!

There were a few threads when it first came out a going on 2 years ago now. To me the SV-1 is more a gigging instrument with "vintage keyboard sounds" as opposed to a home DP. It seems generally speaking, a large percentage of people that come here are more solo players that play from home where the Korg seems more at home in a band.

The Korg SV-1 is a nice board, however I believe the acoustic pianos and keyboard action aren't strong enough to challenge offerings from Roland, Kawai, and Yamaha, while the Nord Electro 3 has it beat for EPs and pretty much everything else.

Like you, I've had the combination of an RD700 series Piano and the Korg SV1.

As others have commented, the problematic keyboard was the main reason I sold mine after only a few months of use. Those clicky keys were a complete pain in the arse and I only had the keyboard a month when they started acting up. It went off to Korg for a service and when it was returned, they hadn't even screwed the bottom plate back fully onto the unit so when I started playing the keys basically sunk! I repaired it myself and the clicking had returned within a month again.

Like Dave Ferris, I too found that the sound just didn't connect with the action. Unlike my 5+ year old Roland Rd700SX and the AP's were simply not up to scratch for me either - it was as if the beauty of the note didn't bother to hang around any longer than it absolutely had to. The EP's on the other hand were sublime and I found the knobby interface fun to use and I could get some amazing bark and growl out of it with a few adjustments.

Maybe a Version-2 of the same instrument will iron out those issues, however, it's probably too late for me as I may have already moved on again........

@Rafa.You are correct in what you said. If I had to choose between the NX and the SV1 I would go with the Roland but boy I'd miss the Korg. Those EPs really bite. I'm lucky to work in the music retail industry so it was possible to get both units at very good prices. When playing a gig I use the SV1 over the Roland. I don't play in a band so it's either playing solo piano or with a singer. The SV1 is more mover friendly and it has all I need and sounds great. Rafa I'm a bit technically ignorant when it comes to putting recordings on to online forums like this, I may get there one day.

@Dave. I remember when you received your second SV1 and that it didn't stay long. I've had mine now 18 months and have had none of the issues regarding build quality some others have had, except those few clacky notes that bother a bit. Korgs are not built like Rolands but the SV1 isn't too bad, I'd be more concerned with the Kronos if I was moving it about alot.You can't fault Roland's Stage Pianos build quality(like tanks)and I guess the downside to that strength and durability is it's extra weight. Cheers Guys.

I tried the SV1 many times. I loved the styling and really wanted to like the board. My main issues with the SV1 were the piano sounds and the action. I thought the EPs were great and full of character, but the pianos just sounded dull to me. The action also felt a bit weird.

I now own the Kronos. The pianos on the Kronos are completely different than those on the SV1 and sound excellent. The EP engine is also very deep and produces some of the best EP sounds I have heard. I think when it comes to sound quality, the Kronos arguably has the best combination of top notch pianos and EPs, not to mention the organs and 6 other sound engines.

The action is where I feel the Kronos lags behind Yamaha, Roland and Kawai. The action is completely responsive and playable, but it isn't built with the same manufacturing precision and is definitely noisy compared to the Yamaha and Kawai actions. That being said, I do think the new sounds on the Kronos make the playing experience quite different than the SV1.

If they put the new sound engines in a SV2 I think it will get more traction with the piano focused crowd, however I think the SV1 will primarily be remembered as a great live EP board.

Korg desperately needs a new top-of-the-range keybed. The RH3 action was poor on the M3, poor on the SV-1 and is now probably the principal thing holding the Kronos back.

Agree. It feels like mud playing it. Not nearly as responsive as the other competitors. I was disappointed to find out the Kronos uses the same RH3 action (w/aftertouch). It deserved a new improved action.

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Yamaha AvantGrand N1Nord Piano 2

"Be who you are and say how you feel. Because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

@ Kawai James. I disagree that the Nord beats the SV1 in EPs. It comes down to preferences and what we get used to. Someone recently put a video on this forum proclaiming the SV1 had the best Rhodes mark 1 simulation he had heard, and it was hard to disagree when hearing that clip. There are several DPs now that stand out with their EP sounds. The CP1/5, SV1/Kronos, Nord and your own Kawai MP10.

@ Siriosys. My fellow Kiwi. I know you had issues with your SV1 and you didn't like the action. If you are still considering the Nord piano make sure you give it a good play first as you may find that it's action dosen't measure up for you as well. I guess you could get the Electro 3 and midi it up to your SX but that brings with it a new set of hassles if you are moving it about alot.

@ Hideki. Agreed, the EPs truly sound awesome on the Kronos and if I had to say which EP sounds were actually the best my money would be on the Kronos. We are spoiled for choice these days as there are many good boards that inspire and enhance our performances.

I have to say that even though I think the Kronos action isn't as nice as the action on the Yamaha, Roland and Kawai, it isn't really an issue of performance. The action is very responsive and not limiting in any way. It is simply that the action is a bit noisy and lacks the refinement in build quality of the other actions. I wouldn't call the action sluggish at all. If anything it feels a bit light under the fingers for me. I will say that I do prefer the Kronos action to the action on the Nords, however I do love the way Nords sound on stage.

I don't think the action should stop anyone from checking out the Kronos. The sounds are quite amazing and a 2 year warranty should alleviate any QC issues about the action. It isn't the action I would want in my perfect board, but it also isn't something that has me reconsidering my purchase.

Man I used one for years on gigs and it finally dawned on me how uncomfortable it was when I sat in on another keyboard player's rig and he had a thickly padded, straight, Quick Lok keyboard bench. My RnS has been relegated to attic for about the last 8 years.

It is a bench. Extra support under the rear brace of the stand because the V-synth is heavier than the Virus, making the rig top heavy. I probably don't need it, but with my plush carpet I just want to be safe. The bench just ended up being the perfect height.

Man I used one for years on gigs and it finally dawned on me how uncomfortable it was when I sat in on another keyboard player's rig and he had a thickly padded, straight, Quick Lok keyboard bench. My RnS has been relegated to attic for about the last 8 years.

Yeah nice looking room with the Shigeru has a centerpiece.

Yes. It is made for a drummer's seating position, which isn't ideal for pianists. If you sit in a pianists posture, the ridge ends up hurting. I only use it in the digital setup so I can swivel around.

I own a SV-1 73 and really like it. I don't have vast experience with keybeds of different brands but I find the RH3 on the Korg meets my needs just fine. I've also mentioned in the past that the 73 key Korg was the only sized stage piano that was going to fit into my locker at work where I store it sometimes if I think I will have a change to play.

It's interesting how we all see, feel, and hear so differently. I recently bought a Korg SP250 as the sound and the key action was perfect for what i was looking for - in that price bracket anyway. This was for playing at home and mainly late night classical. I have been playing acoustics for 30 years.

After a month i was curious to see what the others were like and i auditioned the P95, ES6, FP4f along with the Fp7f and the SV1. Apart from the P95, i hadn't previously tried the others as the prices here are at least 2 or 3 times the SP250. The store had a large range of acoustic pianos as well. I found the SP250 and the SV1 to be the closest in action to the acoustic Kawai that i was comparing them to. The Rolands felt too light and more like a keyboard than a piano. The P95 felt very close to the Korgs - but didn't sound as good. THe ES6 surprised me how different (and lighter) it's key action was to the Kawai acoustic but better than the Rolands.

I have found the RH3 keybed great. I can sink my fingers right into the keys. Definately better than my 15yo upright.I would have taken the SV1 over the SP250 but I am only really interested in the AP sounds....and couldn't justify the (3x) price difference. I did try.

The SP250 is definately not perfect and have found some of its limitations. I am sometimes caught out by the short sustain. Generally it's ok but its evident in pieces like Rach's Bells of Moscow Prelude. No option for a second soft pedal, though it's responsive enough that i can play ppp through to fff.I love the default piano sound (German Grand) through my headphones. No menus. No fuss. Just power on and play. Like opening the piano lid. The look of the SP250 is a little off center, and that timber trim - well I always did prefer redheads.

The SV-1 is fun, but at this stage I would wait for the (potential) SV-2.

On the other hand, if all you want is a basic all-in-one AP emulator with a few "extras" the SP-250 is still a bargain, IMO. I sold mine a couple of years ago, but have occasionally considered repurchasing for it's no-frills, get-the-job-done approach. The 1970s faux-wood dashboard is just a bonus!!!

_________________________"you don't need to have been a rabbit in order to become a veterinarian"

Hey Antonino, Great Post. I agree, I rate the RH3 action in some ways over the Roland PHA111. The PHA111 has that very strong and secure feel under the fingers but I find that it bottoms out a little hard,especially to the not warmed up player. It's great for playing acoustic piano sounds but is less giving when playing the EP sounds or any other keyboard type sound. I feel very connected playing the RH3 action whether playing acoustic piano sounds or EPs.

Incidently I owned a Korg SP250 for a couple of years and know it well. Probably still the best board available at it's price point and it's versatily is great.

I have owned an SV-1 for slightly under a year. I researched boards for months before I bought one, as I'm sure most of you guys spending this amount of money did. I currently play in a couple bands and am working on a live looping project with a drummer/dj who is a good friend of mine. I do a lot of live improvising, both harmonically and with effects. I wanted a board that had everything layed out in front of me, with parameter controllers that I could actually grab a hold of. I have a cheap old unweighted Yamaha that I first started trying to play keys on set up above the SV-1 which I run into my Macbook Pro and use as a MIDI controller for Reason, Logic or whatever I am working in. Thus if I want to go into further detail than I can with the SV-1, I process sounds through the MBP and use the MIDI controller. I play mainly EP sounds out of the SV-1, but also use the organs quite frequently. I use the APs less often in a live setting, but that has to do mainly with the environment I am playing in and not the quality of the sounds. I do use the AP quite frequently playing by myself and doing recordings on my own. I have to say I love this board, I have no desire to replace or exchange this board. I started playing keys seriously about 6 or 7 years ago and would not say I have a large amount of experience with boards and keys from years gone by. I minored in music theory during my undergraduate study and took three semesters of piano during that time. With that being said, I am a fan of the RH3 system. I don't have experience playing top line actual pianos, so I don't have a frame of reference from that point of view, however the feel of the SV-1 is actually one of the top reasons I purchased it, having come close to buying the SP-250 a few months earlier. Anyway, I am glad to see this thread, I also am a big fan of my SV-1

PianoBell, My thoughts exactly. I also own a Roland RD700NX which I really like but there's something about the SV1. There is nothing out there at present that I'd change my SV1 for. It's just a joy to play, both it's sounds and action work for me.

I'm just curious why on this forum the Korg SV1 seems to be the invisible DP. .

Poor AP's and the terrible RH3 action probably ....

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"I'm still an idiot and I'm still in love" - Blue Sofa - The Plugz 1981 (Tito Larriva) Disclosure : I am professionally associated with Arturia but my sentiments are my own only.

it is amazing- to a reader who doesn't own nor has experience with a particular model DP - how one poster absolutely loves all the aspects of that particular DP and the next person completely pans it as junk. its almost like we're talking about breeds of dogs.